Capestang, France is our little French village.
Located exactly 2 km away is the house we fell in love with from our marathon house hunt back in September. Located in the Languedoc Roussillon Region of France, in the department of Herault, you may remember, it was the one with a 3-gite rental barn conversion plus a 6-bedroom house with quaint blue shutters and a pool. Named ‘Le Petit Saint Nazaire’ after the Le Grand Saint Nazaire vineyard and property all around it. This home was once their wine keepers home, and later sold and converted to apartment rental units as well as a large family home.
When the European banks took a turn, similar to the US banking situation over a year ago, they decided to tighten their belts. Our attempt at owning this property failed and Le Petit Saint Nazaires became out of reach.
The little French town of Capestang, located right on the Canal du Midi, where Le Petit Saint Nazaire is located is, however, within reach. Entering the town along a long narrow main road, both sides are lined with giant plane trees that touch high above your head. The town creeps up, and a border of homes welcome you. You drive up towards the town square, through little light colored row houses, along twisting and turning narrow streets towards the church steeple peeking above the rooftops. Once there, the church reveals ruin remains, with a story to discover, and stands on guard with strength in the square. Cafés with outdoor seating, people with baguettes under their arms scurry away; giving a sense of life here. Birds that sound like a child’s squeeze toy are foreign to me, and I think to ask their name, but who would I ask? Time will reveal the secrets of the square; the wildlife and the French people who live here.
With Wednesday and Sunday morning markets, a 3000+ population and a central South France location, this little community is exactly what we’re after. Not too big, not too small, but just right! Small town living that’s a close 35 minute trip to the Mediterranean Coast, and in between the bigger cities of Narbonne and Beziers where you can find everything. Giving my children a close knit French lifestyle, with everything in reach just might be the ticket.
We met a lovely English couple, Mavis and Mike, who have vacationed in Capestang for over 20 years. They just finished a complete renovation on their new home, and are letting out their original home to us. What luck! Our traditional village house, in the center of town, is the perfect starting location for another house hunt. Two rooms up on the third floor, kitchen and living on the second and a laundry and spare room on the ground floor, with a garage for storage. Our kitchen window opens to the street, and is close to a pizzeria and a little bakery. Steps away from the best reasonably priced restaurant in town, and a 5 minute walk to the square and 5 minute walk in the other direction to the Canal du Midi. I love our rental home. Soup is already on the stove on low boil and the boys come home with fresh baguettes under arm. We are already converting to the French way of life!
With a lower budget, we search the surrounding areas and save loads of money in the doing. Scouring the area for the perfect house, we look for one with a barn to convert to rental units or 2 village houses side by side offering the life style in Capestang we desire.
There is a biking/walking path along the Canal that takes you right down to the Sea. Boats are parked along the shores full of travelers from all over the world looking for this beauty. The fall leaves hang on the trees that line the banks; yellow, orange, and red, striking against the blue sky. The water silently flows by, boat passengers wave at the kids, ducks quack asking for food. This marks our first walk along the Canal.
While we drove over the landscape of Minervois looking for other villages like Capestang a little further North West, we were greeted with amazing untouched hills covered in vines, more tree lined roads, and hills covered with black trunked stout trees. Then a little village pops out of nowhere, and a bustling community reveals itself. It feels just like I had imaged south of France to be like.
October 31, Halloween! Our kids begged us to go to Narbonne in search of costumes. We hit the mall, and sure enough, Angelina found a white bride dress, and Daniel chose a pirates outfit. We walked around a little, and one store loaded the kids up with piles of candy! We didn’t know anyone to knock on their doors, so we went home and waited for the neighbors to knock on ours. We left the kitchen window open, and the light on, and sure enough the kids eventually found us. Angelina and Daniel handed out candy and enjoyed their first Halloween in France.
A good start to our new life in Capestang France.
That’s Hamori!
[…] Capestang, Our Little French Village has the Canal du Midi running through. […]
[…] 7 months on the road, we are currently settling down to our new life in Capestang, Our Little French Village, in the Languedoc region of Southern France. We bought a home, and furnishing it lightly to be able […]
How exciting! So much to explore and discover!! It’s been 12 years since I moved into a new house – in the same city and country I already lived in! Loving your sense of adventure!!
Thanks Eleanor! I am getting pretty good with my camera. We bought two Canons before we left. The Rebel 3 and the Power shot 30Xzoom. Both create phenomenal photos, and I just press the button. I really don’t have to be there at all! lol
What beautiful photographs!
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